FFVIII: Dreams of Balamb Garden 1: Of Women
by Sonata-Time-Nocturne-Flare-Aoi
Summary: Complete! These are a series of short one shots focusing on the ladies of Balamb and the perspectives of their own trials and self doubts. These are the dreams of women, guided by their own undeniable fate. Rated T for mild language.
1. Lovin' Days

**Dreams of Balamb Garden: Of Women**

**By**: Time Master (T.M.)

**Genre**: Drama/Mystery

**Written**: March/April 2007

**Author's note**: My first romance/mystery fic. Hope you like it!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Square-Enix or its characters.

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**Under the Tempest**

Under the rain I stand all-alone

From the sins I have yet to atone

I think about the lost love tonight

I cry in darkness still I fight

So why do I bother with it so

My feelings for him nay they shall go

_ Entry #273 of Quistis's Diary _

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"Quistis…are you awake?"

A voice from outside the door woke her from the somber truth from the night before. She rolled over and looked at the time.

_"8:23 a.m."_

Quistis sat up in her bed and stretched. Her hair was disheveled more than usual, and she still seemed a bit exhausted.

"I'm coming in…"

It was Xu.

She stepped in and stopped a few feet away from Quistis's bed.

"Squall, Zell, and Selphie are about to depart to Timber. Aren't you going to see them off with the others?"

"…Why should I?" Quistis responded, turning away from Xu.

"What's wrong? Did something happen last night?"

Quistis didn't responded, appearently in deep thought at the moment.

"Sorry, if you don't want to talk about it, then I guess I'll leave you be."

Xu headed back to the door.

"If you need me, just give me a call, okay?"

Then she was gone.

Quistis got out of her bed and walked toward the window. She gazed upon the three SEED students who were just about to leave the Garden grounds, but her eyes were fixated upon one individual.

The 'Lone Wolf' who made her see more about herself then she ever wanted.

She sighed and began to change into her usual outfit, then headed out the door.

_"Today…is the last day I teach. Some way to go…"_

Realizing it after it was too late; she had bumped into a familiar figure wearing a grey trench coat.

"Seifer…! I'm...sorry, I didn't see you walking there…" she said, quickly walking past him, attempting to avoid any further confrontations until she reached her class.

"Hold up, Instructor," he called out to her.

She stopped and turned back to him.

"You shouldn't call me that anymore. Come tomorrow I won't be teaching anymore. They've revoked my license, you know."

Seifer cocked his head and grinned. He walked up to her and began pulling out an envelope form his coat pocket.

"I guess you wouldn't be interested in this then," he said slyly, placing the envelope in her hands.

"Later, going to bust a few delinquents with Rai and Fu."

He left swiftly. Moments later, the morning bell rang.

_"I'm going to be late…!"_

Later around noon, shortly after Quistis had given her class their assignment, she thought about the envelope that Seifer had given her.

_"I guess I'll see what this is all about…"_

She opened her desk drawer and took it out. Slowly tearing the seam, she reached in and pulled out a small yellow stickie note.

Written on it…

_Sorry._

_P.s.: You were an okay teacher._

_XXX,_

_Leon_

She stared at the note for a good minute or two before setting it down.

_"Squall, you jerk…thank you."_

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**Into The Sun**

Storm up in the dreary sky

My dreams clouded by doubt

Drenched under my own sorrow

I only wanted out

The storm swayed away on by

The sun shines upon one

A wolf can learn forgiveness

My pain inside undone

_ Entry 274 of Quistis's Diary _

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There is a foot-note at the bottom of this entry.

_"Why would Squall…does he… trust…Seifer…?"_

**Fini**

Next: 'Too Far'

_Please review!_


	2. Too Far

**My Black Star**

My Black Star

That glows within the night

Oblivious to warmth

Oblivious to light

My Black Star

His smile gives me wings

To fly into the night

Away from hapless things

My Black Star

The mysterious shrouded pawn

Forever you will fight

In darkness until the dawn

_Entry #14 of Rinoa's Poetry Book_

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"**Hey Rinoa! What's up?"**

Zell, who walked to her table carrying a large tray of hotdogs, called on Rinoa, who was writing in her poetry book in the Cafeteria. She quickly tucked her book away and smiled at the hotdog-crazed friend.

"**Oh, hi Zell. I was just doing a bit of writing. You?"** she asked.

"**Ah, you know, its 12:00 pm, my daily hotdog attack,"** he grinned, flopping down on a chair across from her and began stuffing his face like a pig. After he down a few dogs, he looked up at her. **"Can I see?"**

"**Um…sorry Zell, its kinda personal,"** she responded.

"**Aw c'mon, just a peek?"** Zell insisted, finishing the last few hotdogs on his plate.

"**I'd rather not,"** Rinoa said, sort of embarrassed.

"**Okay,"** Zell said shrugging. He sat up and began to walk over to get another tray of hotdogs, when Seifer purposely bumped into him, knocking the tray out of his hands.

"**Watch where you're going, chicken-wuss,"** Seifer taunted.

"**What the hell? You bumped into me on purpose!"** Zell said, clenching his fists at Seifer.

"**Whatever. Go cry to your mommy,"** Seifer said, walking past him toward Rinoa.

"**Bastard!"** Zell said, picking up his tray and continuing on his way.

Seifer stopped behind Rinoa and leaned down over her shoulder.

"**Hello, babe, wanna know a secret?"** he said coolly to her.

Rinoa was shocked that he was talking to her again. After they had gotten together, then had broken up not long after, this was definetaly a surprise at his sudden desire to even say hi to her.

"**A…secret?"** she asked him.

"**Yeah. Word has it that Squall was last seen at the Balamb Shopping Center today. And you know your birthday is coming up in a couple days…"** Seifer hinted at her.

"_Squall? You don't think he'd be getting something for me?"_ she said to herself.

Seifer grinned and was on his way.

"**W-wait…Seifer!"** she called out to him, but he kept going as if he ignored her.

Rinoa sat there for a moment, savoring the thought of Squall getting a gift for her. Minutes later, Zell returned to the table with two trays of hotdogs this time.

"**What did that Seifer jerk say to you? Want me to eat him up?"** he asked her.

Rinoa smiled.

"**No…there's no need,"** she said.

_"I wonder…I've got to tell the other girls…"_

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**Fini**

Next: 'Ignorance'

_Please review!_


	3. Ignorance

It was late in the evening.

"Where on earth did I put it?!"

Selphie was rummaging through all of her stuff in her bedroom looking for her journal. After tossing out all of her clothes and belongings onto the floor, she began to worry.

"What did I do with it? It was inside the top drawer just last night after I wrote in it!"

She sighed and turned to her bed, flopping down onto it. She laid there and closed her eyes, trying to remember what could have happened.

It wasn't too long before Selphie fell asleep.

Selphie dreamt that she and Irvine were taking a walk through the mall. Selphie sees a nice dress she would like to wear to the Garden Festival, only to turn and see Irvine flirting with another girl. Selphie's expression turns angry as she attempts to approached Irvine and smack him one, but once she reached him, she turned him around, and screamed.

Irvine's face was replaced by that of Seifer's.

"Ah!" Selphie yelps as she is woken from her dream. She blinks and sits up. "It was just a dream…" she says softly to herself.

The door then knocks.

"Um…come in," Selphie calls out.

In steps none other than Seifer himself, holding Selphie's journal.

"Looking for this?" Seifer asks in a playful tone.

"Seifer! Where…how did you get that?! Give it to me!" Selphie pleaded as she sprung off of her bed and tried to take it back, but Seifer held it out of her reach.

"Relax, Selphie. If you think I took a peek in your beloved journal, think again. I wouldn't waste my time on such drabble anyway," Seifer explained, finally handing the book to her.

"You better not have!" Selphie says, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Heh, not a problem. But Irvine sure did get a kick out of it though…" Seifer added, before turning to leave her room

"W-w-what?!? Seifer, how could you!!!" Selphie yelled out to him, but Seifer paid no attention. She slammed the door and went back to her bed, ready to sob as her lover read her personal journal.

She wasn't even going to consider writing about her feelings, but she figured she'd take a quick look at her last entry before going to bed. She opened to the back of her journal and noticed some large writing in red ink that wasn't her own.

It read: _**LOVE YOU ALWAYS…IRVINE **_

Selphie stared at the entry for some time, before a warm smile spread across her face.

The words he had written were enough to put her mind at ease.

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**Fini**

Next: 'Cool I Am'

Please review!


	4. Cool I Am

"…_**COOL…I AM…WHEN I…AM WITH YOU…**_

_**COOL…I'M NOT…WHEN I…AM LONELY…"**_

_(Latest entry in Fujin's personal blog)_

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Fujin pressed 'Enter' on key keyboard and then proceeded to save her latest entry to her blog.

**"RAIJIN…"**

Raijin was all that she could think about. Being part of the Disciplinary Committee, Fujin was always too busy carrying out Seifer's dirty work, never having enough time to take a moment and express her feelings toward Raijin. Whenever she did get the chance to be near him, she always wound up kicking him in the shin for something stupid he'd done.

**"NERVOUS…"**

But she only did this because she was always to shy to approach him and start a simple conversion with him. His dumb antics caused her to take her frustration out on him more than anything else.

**"WHERE…"**

Fujin hasn't been around Balamb as of late. There haven't been any tasks where both she and him would be needed to assist Seifer in keeping an eye on the students. She often thought about the possibility of Raijin seeing another girl in another town. That was enough to just make her kick him several times in her own thoughts.

**"HANDSOME…"**

She admits that Raijin, though a meathead at times, was very handsome. He had a great build, a unique hairstyle, and that stick he carried around with him…it just seemed to make him complete. She didn't know why, but it just appealed to her…

**"ODD…"**

Fujin has had her self-doubts about how Raijin feels about her appearance. She assumed that he didn't mind, but where else in the world would you find a platinum haired, eye patch donning, one-liner like herself…

**"YA KNOW…"**

She smiled lightly as she did indeed miss his choice. Ending every sentence with 'Ya Know' would normally drive someone insane. But Fujin didn't care…that was just another thing she found attractive about him. It was much better than Squall's 'Whatever' or Zell's 'Frickin Hell'…

Fujin's thoughts were interrupted when a beeping noise sounded from her computer. She turned around in her seat and gazed at the screen.

She had an incoming e-mail addressed to her…from…

**"SEIFER?" **

What was Seifer doing sending her a message via the Internet? Whenever Seifer needed to ask her something, he usually just barges in and does it personally. This was indeed odd. She clicked on the little letter icon and opened the message. It read…

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**FROM: SEIFER**

**TO: FUJIN**

**SUBJECT: RAI SAYS HI**

Hey Fujin. Just letting you know that Raijin will be coming to Balamb this weekend. Better pick out a nice dress, because I heard he really wants to see you. He even commented on your private blog when I gave him the password to it the other day. Well, I gotta go. Later.

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Fujin didn't know whether to scream or praise Seifer for sending him this message. The fact that her private blog was read, and that Raijin has been thinking about her was enough to get her excited.**"SEIFER…WHY?"**

But why was Seifer doing this…it was not like him.

Nevertheless, Fujin gets up and walks away from her computer. She grabs her coat and heads for the mall to pick out something nice for this weekend's festival.

**Fini**

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Next: Final Chapter: 'Impossible Sorceress'

Please review!


	5. Impossible Sorceress

"_**Is it so hard…to live with the powers bestowed down upon one's self…and bear its consequences beyond one's will?"**_

"**Edea…"**

Edea Kramer was snapped out of deep thought when her husband: Headmaster Cid Kramer, spoke to her. They were in Cid's office chatting after the student's curfew hours.

"**Oh…I'm sorry…I was just…thinking again…" **Edea replied, her head down.

"**About finding away to handle your powers…?" **Cid asked.

Edea looked up and stared at her husband.

"**Ah, so I'm right. Don't worry, Squall and the others will find a way, I'm sure of it!"** Cid replied, trying to cheer her up.

Edea sighed.

"**I guess you're right..."** she said, standing up and heading toward the door. **"I'm going for a walk,"** she said, and then she was gone.

Edea was now outside of the garden near the fountain. She looked up at the stars. It was a clear night, and the moon was out as well.

"**Why must I be cursed with the powers of the Sorceress? What if I…hurt another…"** she said out loud, staring into the sky.

"**Relax, Miss Kramer, everything will be fine,"** said a voice from behind her.

It was, you guessed it, Seifer.

"**Seifer…what are you doing out so late?"** Edea asked, surprised to see him.

"**Just doing the same thing you're doing right now, enjoying the warm midnight air,"** Seifer replied, walking up toward her.

Edea turned back around and gazed into the sky.

"**Seifer…"** she started, **"I wanted to ask you something for the longest…"**

"**What is it?"** Seifer responded.

**"How did you feel when I forced you to become your greatest dream…to be a Sorceress's Knight?"** she asked.

Seifer took a moment to think and let it sink in.

"**I guess…it was kinda cool…even though it was against my will…it was still fun…"** Seifer explained.

"**Oh?"** Edea said, turning toward him.

"**Yeah…and the best part was that I got to beat the crap out of my rival Squall…even though he did end up kicking my ass every time,"** he said with a grin.

Edea walked past him and slowly made her way back inside. Seifer turned toward her and spoke to her one last time before both of them turned in for the night.

"**Don't feel so glum, Mrs. Kramer. You and the other ladies are in good hands, and I'll prove it to you!"** Seifer said to her.

Edea was now back inside the Garden. She went to her bedroom and sat on her bed and pondered...

"_In good hands…what could Seifer be planning…?"_

**Fini**

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The End?

Please review!

**The story is not quite over yet! Check out the sequel: Dreams Of Balamb Garden 2: Radiant Nights, coming later this summer!**


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